philemer

Planning on visiting New Orleans for the first time next spring. Will later rent a car and drive to Pensacola to visit a friend. What is there to do or see between New Orleans and Pensacola?

bacchus85

Well I guess it depends on what you are interested in, but if I was you, I would take a look at Mobile, AL and the USS Alabama

hhoope01

Yes, it definitely depends on what your interests are. Mobile is the largest city between New Orleans and Pensacola and may have the most city type of activities. And I too recommend the USS Alabama. Also, it is worth the extra charge to walk through the WWII sub there as well. It is unreal the living space (or lack of) the men serving on that sub had to endure. Mobile also has a number of museums of various types if that is of interest to you.

If you are interested in more "outdoor" types of activities (especially if you are a bird enthusiast), I'd suggest looking at the Grand Bay Savannah Coastal Preserve in Mississippi. You can also canoe and kayak around there as well. There are a number of other preserves along the way I have never been to, but depending on your interests, one or more of those might be worth a stop.

There is a ferry that you can take between Ft Gaines and Ft Morgan that will allow you to have a nice drive along the coast and through Gulf Shores, AL. The one time I had the idea to drive that route, we didn't check the times the ferry operated. So ended up with an extra 3 or 4 hour drive having to backtrack as we were driving home to Texas from the FL Panhandle. You should have some really great scenery and the drive along the coast is nice. But if you decide on driving this direction, definitely check on the ferry's operational times.

You may already have been (or are planning on visiting) the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, but if not, that is well worth visiting (and the Pensacola lighthouse is next to it and might be worth a quick visit too.) I've been to that museum more times than I can count. I still love to stop by there almost every year (on our families annual trek to Destin). And if you time it right, you might even be able to watch the Blue Angels practicing. ^

Blumie

Is the Floribama Lounge still in operation?

philemer

USS Alabama for sure. Thanks for all the ideas. I wonder if there are any old plantations open to the public along this LA>FL route?

philemer

Is this the one you are referring to: http://www.florabama.com/oyster-bar-menu ? Good? Bad?

BamaVol

We just spent a long weekend in Biloxi. About 90 minutes east of New Orleans. There are a half dozen or so large casinos there, as well as some smaller ones, including at least one that is non-smoking. We went to a show Sunday night at the Beau Rivage casino and enjoyed it immensely. There is also a decent and very accessible stretch of beaches, with several restaurants on the water. You can visit Jefferson Davis's home across the street from the beach. We did not go in but it's impressive from the street.

We took one day in Ocean Springs. It is a pretty town with a somewhat well preserved downtown. I counted 17 bars and restaurants on Government Street and had a decent lunch at Government Street Grocery. Mrs. BamaVol enjoyed the many small shops there.

BamaVol

Also, if you enjoy craft beer, there are several breweries including one of my favorites, Fairhope.

philemer

You mentioned a couple cities above. Which one contains Fairhope? Ocean Springs?

BamaVol

Sorry. Fairhope, Alabama. Excellent amber ale and my all time favorite coffee stout (Judge Roy Bean).

Also consider Lazy Magnolia in Kiln, MS. Neither is too far off of I-10.

And while you're in La., consider driving across the Pontchartrain to the Abita brewery. It's still pretty new and shiny and makes some wonderful product. There's an excellent shop there as well. I found a very nice pub in downtown Covington too and there are other breweries in Covington, although I did not visit them.

philemer

Thanks for the info. I've had an Abita ale somewhere a few years ago. They've been around for quite awhile. Prosit!!

BamaVol

Abita has been around since 1986. They underwent a major expansion a few years ago and I toured the facility probably not too long after it opened. I was very impressed. Unfortunately, I learned that they have since started charging - I'm not sure if it's for entry or just for samples. Two years ago you were given doubloons that could be exchanged for samples. Of course there is a bar there where you can buy anything on tap as well.

swag

If you're interested in beer - and I just noticed your profile location - know that the New Orleans craft beer scene has been exploding the last few years. I can think of 8 or 9 breweries within the city limits, most that didn't exist 3 years ago. My top recommendations are Parleaux (in the Bywater), Courtyard and Urban South (Garden District area), and NOLA (Irish Channel). Courtyard is unique in that besides the the 6+ beers they brew themselves, the taproom also serves a few dozen well curated interesting and often rare beers from other breweries around the country.

Blumie

Thanks for this swag. I am not a huge fan of Abita's beers, so am excited that the options continue to expand.

FLYMSY

Walter Anderson Museum of Art - Ocean Springs, MS

http://www.walterandersonmuseum.org/

Another vote for the quaint town of Fairhope, Al.

Not many plantations, if any, on your route. Closest would probably be Destrehan Plantation in Destrehan, LA, while you're in NOLA.